


Confidential Lift

by brightephemera



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: Gen, stuck in an elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightephemera/pseuds/brightephemera
Summary: Things seem to get done in elevators. Talia Winters, resident telepath on Babylon 5, has watched the Narn-Centauri war spiral out of control…and so has diplomatic attaché Vir.Prompt fill for a random word challenge "Examine".
Relationships: Talia Winters & Vir Cotto
Kudos: 6





	Confidential Lift

The lift in Blue Sector zoomed up like it had lost its brakes, then, improbably, squealed to a standstill at the right level. Talia Winters considered her chances, but standing around in hallways was a sure path to harassment these days. She stepped into the lift.

Vir Cotto, diplomatic attaché for the Centauri Republic second only to Ambassador Londo Mollari, bumbled in beside her.

Talia wore a red suit to match her lipstick. The Psi Corps badge dominated her lapel. Vir thought privately that the look was harsh, but impressive. She wasn’t the ticking time bomb that people thought telepaths were. She was a knife.

Vir, for his part, wore a patterned purple tunic and a belt that tried and failed to give him a waist. His high fan of hair was freshly oiled, though it would never be full. He was a study in the Centauri ethos of looking good over a crumbling layer. It was either patriotic or depressing. So many things were.

He peered up. “Miss Winters, I’m glad I caught you.”

“Is no lift safe?” The blonde rolled her eyes. The door was already closing. “Whatever Mister Garibaldi wants you to say, tell him I’d love for him to not say it at all.”

“No, you misunderstand. I want to talk to you.”

Blue sector to green. The latter was something of a minefield these days, but then, the two of them should be used to that. The lift was now alternating between jerks and smooth creeping.

Then an explosive noise. Then, it stopped. Noise and lift both.

“Oh, honestly,” said Talia, and pressed the button for opening the door. The doors scraped maybe a hand’s breadth apart and stopped.

Something puffed hot, sour air all around them. To Talia it was gross in her nose. To Vir it went straight to his throat and started tickling his sensitive stomach.

“Hello,” shouted Talia, and started to telepathically probe for anyone who might be near the place. No response. They were definitely between decks, the door having opened onto a blank metal wall. “Vir, a little help?”

Vir had shrunk himself away from the door. “Oh! Yes, I’m sorry! I’m slightly conditioned to not raise my voice.”

Talia waited for the backup. “So?”

“So what?”

“So are you going to raise your voice now?”

“Oh, yes! Right away.” He shut his eyes and pressed his mouth shut, then burst, “Help!” He clapped his hands over his mouth and skittered back to the far wall. He released. “Help!” he yelled again, eyes wide.

Talia found his discovery bizarrely entertaining. She grinned and called out again with voice and mind. “Is anyone there?” How could a telepath even ask that? There was always someone there. Just…someone who wasn’t currently engaged in helping her get out of here.

“Bother,” said Vir. “I should have taken you to the Promenade. Have this conversation over wine, maybe some music.”

Talia eyed him with unmalicious curiosity. “Exactly what are you asking me to do?”

“Oh, no! It was a stupid idea.” Spy movies notwithstanding. “It just seemed proper to give you something for your time. But I know where the microphones are in that place and I can’t deactivate them all without irritating a number of highly placed people, so maybe this is best.”

Talia shifted and revised her opinion of Vir’s significance. Who knew a mouse would know the kitchen so well? A subtlety that would be lost in translation to Centauri. She had heard of the Centauri equivalent of mice. They were neither tiny nor cute.

Another puff of warm, foul air. Valia didn’t hear voices anywhere.

“Is that an alarm?” whispered Vir.

Talia listened. “I don’t know.”

“They would fix this right away if nothing else was going on,” observed Vir.

The two of them stood, very quietly, looking at the absence of evidence.

“All right, Vir.” Talia cleared her throat and perched one arm across her waist, the other elbow resting on it so she could touch her chin with her gloved hand. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I…” he tilted back one shoulder and made a strained face… “I lied a little bit earlier. I have two questions, and one of them is about you being a telepath."

Not unexpected. "Fine. Let’s get the business done first.”

Vir swallowed. When his voice came back it was lower and hell-bent on driving through to its conclusion. “There’s a man, a human, who comes to see Londo sometimes. I don’t trust him and I can’t tell you why.”

“Is that all? Does the entire station not meet that criterion?”

“No, if you could just see him when he does come on station.”

“I also can’t scan someone without their consent, for money or otherwise.”

“What if it’s for a good cause?”

“Still illegal.” He looked hurt, like maybe the law could not be there for a little while if he asked nicely. The man was not cut out for skullduggery. “I’m sorry, Vir.”

Vir wasn’t finished. “What if I got him to do something that requires telepath mediation? A business deal. He does those all the time.”

“All right. Maybe. No deep scanning.”

“I just need a start. Anything.”

“Anything for…?”

“To get him arrested. By anyone but the Centauri.” That might lead to bigger problems, but the real issue was getting Morden away from his handlers. Figuratively speaking, he had to piss sometime.

“You have a sterling reputation on this station, Vir. I’m willing to at least meet him. Any idea when you can arrange a meeting?”

“So…that’s the other thing. I don’t know where he is. And I can’t pay you.”

Well, thought Talia, points for honesty. “If this is important I’m sure you can dip into discretionary funds. I’m told the Centauri are very generous with that.”

“It all goes through Londo.”

Talia nodded encouragingly. “Except…?”

“That’s it. It all goes through Londo. I don’t keep credits for myself.”

Talia tilted her head. “Except your salary…?”

“That goes to my job. Through Londo.”

“And your emergency off-station accounts?”

“My what?”

She leveled a stare at him. “You don’t have emergency off-station accounts,” she said skeptically. What good was an un-corrupt politician?

Vir flattened his hands before him and made an unhappy face. “Why would I do that?”

“I always assumed it was a government employee reflex. Vir, I can’t get arguable consent to a scan for someone who isn’t here and not get paid for it.” It really was getting warm here. Talia shoved her hair out of her face. It fell right back around her cheekbones and jaw. She hissed a little bit and tried again.

“Miss Winters?” It was Vir. He held out his offering without really knowing how she would react. She examined it. It was a long, sturdy hairpin.

“Vir, why do you carry…?”

“Just don’t tell anyone.” Additional mechanical support of the Centauri hair fan was beyond gauche. It’s just that he needed all the help he could get. “It’s clean, I got new ones yesterday.”

“Well, thank you.” She swept and twisted to secure her front hair out of the way. “That’s much better. Now. We got the job out of the way. Did you have another question?”

“I do,” Vir said solemnly. “And it’s the reason I want that scan.”

“Take a breath, and tell me your reasons.”

Vir started rubbing his hands together. It was something to focus on. “You really don’t ever take the badge off, do you?

“No. I believe that’s clearly stated on the label.” She grazed her Psi Corps badge with a fingertip.

“And you’ve been married?”

“Who told you that?” snapped Talia.

“Sorry! I hear things when diplomats talk. Especially Londo, his voice really gets in your head.”

Talia scoffed. “You have no idea.”

“All right, poor choice of words. I understand. The point is, you’ve had this extremely controlled background, but you found somebody.”

“Assuming we’re no longer talking about my husband…yes.” She smiled thoughtfully. “Is that a surprise to you?”

Vir vibrated in place. “No. It’s nice, a little bit, seeing something that isn’t the job. Isn’t it?”

“I’d say so.”

“This isn’t right. Not you, that is. Or this conversation. Or…” his shoulders slumped…“something isn’t right. I wanted to ask a Human because they’re unique in their own right, but also because their concept of duty isn’t exactly mine. I don’t know if it’s better. Connections are hard for Humans who take on important jobs. Nobody else does what you’re asked to do. When it’s hard especially.”

“I follow so far. I think.”

“What happens when you see something big? I mean, really big. Bigger than big.” He attempted to encompass the scale and succeeded only in abstractly hugging the rest of the elevator. Talia edged away. “Catastrophic, for more than just you. And you haven’t found someone at your level who can share it. Where can you go? Is it the chain of command?”

“In my case, certainly. Or the local authorities, you know Sheridan would step up if a real threat showed itself.”

“Yes! Right! Local!” He was huffing each word and blowing it out. “He carries a great responsibility. He would understand.”

“Understand what?”

Vir sobered. “Understand something no one else does. Something he might not know how to change. I’m not sure I can put that on him.”

“And I can tell you, he has every good intention.”

“I’ve started to question whether that’s a justification.” Vir waved his hands near his ears, not knowing any better way to deal with the internal pressures. “Nothing’s happened yet, I think. Maybe nothing will happen. But the things he says, the things he’s begun to order…”

The ‘he’ had changed. Talia crossed her arms over her chest. “Londo is a diplomat, not a god.”

“Get out of my head!” Vir squeaked, clapping his hands over his ears in the vague idea that this was the most direct route to his brain.

“I wasn’t in it,” she said, modulating to a gentler tone. “Your orders narrowed it down.”

Vir swallowed. “Miss Winters, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know who to go to. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I know it won’t be good. It’s about the war, about what he’s willing to pay to win. The Great Houses would only encourage what he’s doing. He’s hiding it even from them, just to play the game…but I can’t think of one House that would tell him no. And nothing is real to the Emperor unless it’s gone through six layers of cronies, and even if it made it that far he would think it great fun.” He looked sick. “Please don’t tell anyone I said that.”

“We’re past pussyfooting around, Vir. You’re concerned about what Londo is going to do. Have you considered that it’s his duty to serve the interests of the Republic?”

“I’ve considered that this war is not a just war, and our next battle will not be a just battle. I can’t examine it, I can’t even be in a room with it. The entire chain of command is set on it and talking to anybody else about it is treason.” He jumped, more than a little shocked at his own allegation. “There’s someone Londo talks to and I don’t trust him. He’s been too convenient too often. But what can I do? Telling someone about him would just knock Londo out of his position, and another Centauri noble would just take his place. Londo…he would stop somewhere. I don’t know where, but I believe he must. The rest of the Great Houses? I think they would use Londo’s friend without a trace of restraint. I don’t know how to stop them. They’re going to win this war, in some horrible way, and I don’t know how to stop them.”

“Calm down,” said Talia. “I realize the war has put a lot of people on edge.”

“There is no edge. Except the one standing a hundred meters over me while I’m falling straight down.”

Talia considered very, very carefully. VIr thought she looked like a firework rigged to blow up. “I know what it’s like,” she said slowly. “To have something no one else has, and to be unable to admit to it. Hidden depths. I’m glad you came to me. I only wish I could help. If you can get Ambassador Mollari’s friend to try hiring a telepath, I’ll do my best to make sure it’s me. But, honestly…right now every Centauri believes he’s an expert. I think you’re going to have a lot of trouble convincing any of them to seek Human interference. Even the Ambassador.”

“Let me put it this way. Do you want this war to go on?”

“I want this war to end. Realistically that means someone has to bring it to a conclusion.”

“Realism? Is that all you have?”

“It’s the only thing that has ever responded,” she said crisply. “I’m sure you understand that, even if you don’t want to.”

“You said you found someone. Does he help you forget the realistic parts?”

“In a way she brings me closer to them. I won’t pretend that’s an average relationship trait.” Talia smiled.

Vir slumped. “There is nobody I can forget with. And I think that may help Centauri Prime…but it doesn’t make being it enjoyable.”

The fell into bitter silence. Vir stared at the wall. He tried not to think about Londo, or Londo’s friend, or the war. He thought about being stuck in an elevator. Talia was very pretty for a Human, and not in a mood for conversation. Things could be a lot worse than that.

Talia ticked the emergency excuses she might hear off. Huddle for warmth, which was insane when the internal climate control was running, but it hadn’t stopped men from trying. Alternately, let’s loosen clothing since it’s unh, so hot. Or else this could be our last kiss ever. Or else, hey, was something moving over there? I’ll protect you.

Vir was hugging himself and staring at his shoes. Talia had the unshakeable impression that he hadn’t thought of any of those lines, nor was he trying.

She reached out telepathically, and waited for the right time to start screaming again. Not if her biggest problem was him.


End file.
